Symphony
by ass-sassin
Summary: Of biceps, orchestras, secret note books, rogue captains, water - and the mission impossible theme. Gou never anticipated the trials and tribulations she'd face by becoming the manager of the swim team... but she'd do anything to have what was left of her family together again. SeiGou.
1. Chapter 1

"Hello, Matsuoka Harumi speaking!"

Matsuoka Gou sat on the lounge doing her homework, biting the tip of her pencil rather savagely, twirling a strand of her burgundy hair around a dainty finger.

"Hm? An offer? The national orchestra you say?"

The girl's ears perked up at that, and she spun around on the couch to face her mother, books flying off her lap and on to the carpeted floor.

"Ah, I see. Rehearsals on selective weekends? She'll be there. Thank you, good day!"

"_Whaaaaaaaaat?_" Gou's excited screech sent her catapulting off the couch, scrabbling to grasp at her mother's dress, "The _national orchestra?_"

The middle aged woman laughed, rolling her eyes at her daughter's antics, "Yes, Gou. They want you as a violinist for the performance in Nagoya this summer."

"_AAAAAAHHHHH NO WAY MA!"_

Harumi rolled her eyes once more at her daughter's dramatic outburst, "Yes way, Gou Matsuoka. They've emailed you the sheet music, so finish your homework and get practicing!"

Taking a few deep breaths to collect herself, Gou stood straight and squared her shoulders, "Today is the day your daughter became a woman," she announced to her mother. Before the unamused woman could reply, the teen raced to her room and tore open her laptop.

Minutes later, her mother heard an ungodly screech from within, "_AH! MA! IT'S SHINGEKI NO KYOJIN, WE ARE PERFORMING THE SOUNDTRACK OF SHINGEKI NO KYOJIN MAMAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"_

OOO

"Congratulations, Gou-chan!" Chigusa Hanamura exclaimed, patting her friend on the back gently at the news of her selection into the most prestigious orchestra in the country.

"Thank you, Hana-chan!" the amber eyed girl chirped back as they walked through the hallway at school, a slight blush grazing her cheeks, "God knows how many hours spent practicing has got me here."

"Hn, I'll see you later!" her blue eyed friend piqued up, heading into the open door of her homeroom.

Still bursting with excitement, Gou made her way into her homeroom, not even Nagisa's cry of, "Gou-chan!" able to dampen her spirits.

"You look exceedingly happy today, Kou-san," Rei commented, pushing his red rimmed glasses further up his nose.

She smiled at him and took her seat in front of him and Nagisa, practically bouncing in her chair. Still with ten minutes before the class was to begin, Gou dug around in her bag, tugging out her iPod and headphones. She'd downloaded the sample tracks yesterday so she could listen to the Shingeki no Kyojin soundtrack and learn her part partly by ear.

It did help that she read the manga and absolutely adored the anime adaptation.

"Ah, Gou-chan, what're you listening to?" Nagisa asked, bouncing at her side.

With a grunt and a shove with her shoulder, he was sent tumbling back into his seat, and she was left to enjoy the music in peace. Still terribly excited, she checked her phone, hoping for a reply from her brother. She had sent a frenzied message last night, but (unsurprisingly) she'd still received no form of communication.

"Alright class, settle, settle!" the elderly homeroom teacher called, flattering her hands in the likeness of a flustered hen.

Sighing, the red head stowed her iPod away and focussed on class.

_I just have to wait until swimming practice_, she thought_, I can listen all I like there._

Alas, when the time finally came for her to meet the boys at the pool, she practically ran there. She, not being the fittest of people, came to a gasping halt before them, leaning against the pool gate haphazardly.

"Are you alright, Gou-chan?" Makoto asked worriedly, leaning down to her height.

She nodded, waving him away, "I'm fine! Hah! I must get to painting immediately!" and she hurried into the adjoining locker room to continue painting the ever impending countdown to the first tournament.

"Strange," Haru murmured, shrugging his shoulders before he stripped and leapt into the pool, ignoring Makoto's pleas for him to wait.

It wasn't long before Gou came hurrying out, screeching about some island paradise swim course.

OOO

Captain Mikoshiba Seijuuro was a dork. He loved all things sci-fi (such as star-trek and Doctor Who), and he was absolutely fascinated by Hajime Isayama's manga, Shingeki no Kyojin. In fact, he was subscribed to one of many websites entailing updates on both the manga and anime.

So, when he received an email on the way to a beachside training camp detailing a performance by the national orchestra, he set out to buy tickets off his smartphone immediately.

Hence, when he was brought to the main webpage, there was the initial opening page, a dark background with a cream coloured font, describing the new talent found in small towns. He was about to skip straight to buying the tickets when he saw it.

"Matsuoka!" he cried from the front of the bus to where Rin sat somewhere towards the back, "I didn't know your sister was in the national orchestra!"

Many heads on the bus turned in awe, gaping at the moody athlete.

"Yeah," the sharp toothed teen growled, "what of it?"

The Captain flashed a snarky grin, "Here we were, thinking we'd get scholarships into universities – she's going to upstage us all."

Rin glowered at his senior, "She's not upstaging anyone. Gou's always been good at violin, but that's all she'll ever be: good. There's better out there, so don't get your hopes up."

Seijuuro raised a brow at his words as the second year turned to glare out the window.

"Ah, that's no way to speak of your sister," he muttered to himself, shaking his flaming head of hair briefly before turning and plonking back into his seat, "and she's so cute, too."

OOO

"Good work, team!" Gou enthused, burgundy hair bouncing in her pony tail as she scurried over the hot sand, a plastic bag dripping a trail of condensation behind her.

"Ma, what do you have there Gou-chan?" Nagisa cried, splashing out of the waves to meet her.

"Kou! It's _Kou!_"

"Gou!"

"Kou!"

"_Gou!"_

"Fine, no popsicles for you, Nagisa-kun!" the redhead finally snapped, kicking some sand at her friend before beckoning the others out of the water.

"Popsicles for everyone!" she exclaimed, "-except Nagisa."

The blond boy pouted, falling into a slouch and dropping his head as he trudged slowly away through the sand, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds to check if Gou had cracked yet.

"Ah, alright, alright, come here!" she shouted after him, the frown melting off her face, "It's too hot to argue."

"Thank you, Kou-chan," Rei grinned, unwrapping his blue ice block.

"Yes, thank you for the treat!" Makoto added, "We're very grateful-"

Blushing, Gou shook her head, "Never mind, never mind! Come now, Haruka-senpai, are you really going to finish that off in the ocean?" she asked the tall boy as he sauntered into the calm waves.

Shrugging, the boy plonked himself down at the water's edge and let the little waves lap over his legs.

"Haru's got the right idea!" the green eyed giant chuckled, following his friend's lead.

Soon, Nagisa and Rei joined the other two and all four sat quietly, licking away at the cold treat.

"Kou," Haru spoke, not looking away from the vast body of water spread out before him, "come sit with us."

"Eh?" the girl frowned, nibbling away at her own popsicle, "I'm not in my swim clothes."

"Ne, it's okay!" Nagisa chirped, "It's only your feet, Gou-chan!"

"How many times do I have to tell you, it's _Kou?_" she grumbled, but she kicked off her shoes and moved to sit beside Rei, nevertheless.

"Where's Amakata-senpai?" Rei queried, splashing the water gently with his legs.

"She's up at the hotel getting ready to come down and sunbathe," Gou yawned, wriggling her toes in the frothy wave residue.

"Eh? Will you come swim with us?" Makoto asked, smiling kindly at her.

The girl flushed and shook her head, "No, no, I must practice up in the room!"

"Practice what?" Nagisa asked, looking to her, bright eyed.

"Violin," she answered, trying to play it off smoothly.

Haru eyed her coolly, head tilted to the side, "You didn't bring your violin."

And so she panicked, "Ah- er – I mean I must practice reading the sheet music! Yes!" she blurted, hurriedly standing, "I'll – I'll come back later to check on your progress, enjoy your day!"

And she was jogging back to the hotel, panicked that Nagisa would chase after her and make her swim. It wasn't that she was _afraid_ of water – though she was when she was a lot younger – but she never quite learned how to swim. Swimming was always Rin's sport, just as Violin was always Gou's instrument.

It was when she hit the hot concrete that she remembered that she'd forgotten her shoes back on the beach. With a squeal she hopped onto the balls of her feet, shaking her hands, almost tearing up at the intense heat beneath her bare soles.

"Gou-kun!" she heard a familiar booming voice shout, just as she spotted a park bench in the distance.

Giving a brief shout and a wave over her shoulder, she dashed over to the park bench, squealing as she went. Finally, the bench was only a few metres away, and so she leapt onto the warm wooden surface, crouching on the seat and almost crying out as her feet were relieved of the intense midday heat.

"Uh… Gou-kun… is now the right time?" the Captain asked, rubbing at the back of his neck nervously as he approached the bench where she crouched.

Finally aware of her peculiar behaviour, Gou flushed red, "Yes! Sorry! I just… forgot my shoes on the beach," she blurted, face palming.

"Oh!" the flaming haired Captain laughed, suddenly at ease, "Fancy seeing you here! I thought you were doing some weird voodoo dance to shake me off-"

"_What?_" Gou laughed, falling back onto her bottom and shaking her head, "You are _insane!_"

"Hey!" Seijuuro cried, feigning hurt, "At least I didn't forget my shoes on the beach!"

They both broke off into fits of laughter after that. In a few moments, Gou looked up, frowning, "Captain Mikoshiba, aren't you meant to be training?"

"Even the best swimmers must eat some time, Gou-kun-"

"It's Kou!"

He laughed, shaking his head, "If you say so."

Huffing, but glad her feet weren't aching as much, Gou looked up at him again, "Have you… have you seen Rin?"

The Captain nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets, "Of course. Does he know you're here?"

Gou shook her head, "No. Please – Please don't tell him."

Staring briefly into her pleading eyes, Seijuuro nodded, "Very well, then. Where are you staying, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Uh, those lodges," the girl pointed to the beachside houses in the distance, "just over there."

"Ah, I see," he nodded, "would you like some help getting back to your shoes?"

Flushing red, Gou nodded, "Uh… yes, please…"

The Captain grinned and spun on the spot until his back was to the bench, crouching a little.

"Mikoshiba-sensei?"

"Well, come on – on to my back," he laughed over his shoulder, "or are you scared of heights?"

"Hmph!" the first year huffed, frowning as she stood on the bench and clambered on to his broad back.

"And it's Seijuuro. But you can just call me Sei."

"O-Okay, Sei-kun. Thank you. They're just over there, see?" she pointed to where the boys sat with Miss Amakata, just getting started on lunch.

"Oh! Look!" Nagisa cried, pointing to the approaching Captain with Gou perched on his back, looking quite tiny compared to him, "Gou-chan is using her sex appeal on the Captain again!"

"_Nagisa!_" Gou shouted, rattling her fist in the air, "Shut up!"

Seijuuro chuckled as he reached the swim club, crouching down to set his passenger down lightly. After greeting everyone, he turned to the manager as she glared daggers as her blond friend.

"See you around, Gou-kun!" he was about to turn away when he seemingly remembered something, "Oh! And congratulations on performing with the national orchestra, I hope I have the time to come watch the show!"

"Eh? National orchestra?"

"What show?"

"What's this?"

"_Gou!_ Why didn't you tell me you were that good?"

"Ne, ne, calm down!" the red head blushed, waving her hands frantically, "Thank you, Sei-kun."

Chuckling, the Captain swaggered away, throwing her a wink over his shoulder.

"Ah, what's all this about the national orchestra?" Amakata asked, her interest piqued by the senior's words.

"Oh, it's nothing," Gou mumbled, face still red, "I just play a little violin, that's all."

"A little violin?" Rei gasped, appalled, "_A little violin?_ Not just _anyone_ gets in to the national orchestra! How long was your application in for?"

Gou shrugged, "I had no application – they called my mother and asked if I was interested in performing as part of the orchestra."

"Wow, Gou-chan!" Makoto exclaimed, "That's impressive! I'm sure your family is very proud of you!"

The girl mumbled her thanks, face still quite red.

"Hm, now for the true question!" Nagisa exclaimed, rubbing his hands together as a mischievous glint formed in his eye, "Just what were you doing on his back and what does your brother know of this sex appeal on the Captai-"

"_NAGIIIIISAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_"


	2. Chapter 2

The Samezuka car park was abandoned but for one lone teenage girl, rolling and dodging between the teachers cars. Nothing could be heard but the mission impossible theme as she hummed it loudly, rolling swiftly behind a trashcan, clutching the straps of her backpack as the leather stuck to her shoulders.

Quickly, quietly, she darted out of her hiding place and up behind the swimming centre, where a set of stairs led to the balcony around the glass ceiling. Creeping on the tips of her toes, and still humming the mission impossible theme, she perched herself to lie flat on the balcony, procuring a set of high power binoculars from her pack. Whipping out her notebook, she clicked the tip of her pen and shoved the seeing aids to her amber eyes.

A wicked grin snuck onto her face as she observed them.

_Oh, heavenly biceps sent from above…_ she drooled, giggling to herself.

Then she shook her head, "Focus, Kou!" she whispered to herself as she began scrawling down notes in her book, being exceedingly detailed with their training regime. Once that was done, she took notes on their strongest swimmers, drawing dodgy sketches of their forms, trying to perfect their muscles.

It didn't take long for her to realise she was a horrible artist.

She didn't notice the afternoon drawing to an end, so deeply she was immersed in her speculations.

"Gou-kun, fancy seeing you here-"

"_AH!_" her startled screech sent her shooting up from the ground, flailing her arms about desperately to keep her balance. Spluttering her hair out of her face, she hurriedly attempted to hide the binoculars and notebook behind her back.

Seijuuro raised a brow, "What are you doing up here? It's dangerous."

"Ah! Yes!" she exclaimed, searching desperately for an excuse, "I was just – admiring the view! Yes, I was admiring the view from up here."

"Hn? Of what? My swimming team?" his mocking tone almost made her squeal.

"No! No, no, no, no! Not at all! I wasn't watching you at all!" but her pathetic lies only made him laugh.

"Come now, Gou-kun, you don't have to spy like this! You can watch my practices any time you want – from the_ ground_."

"It's _Kou!_ But thank you, Sei-kun!" she cried bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement before correcting herself, "And I wasn't spying!"

He sighed, shaking his head as he strode forward and snatched the book from behind her back, "Not spying, eh? This doesn't look like not sp- hey, these notes are really good!"

Gou blushed, twisting the tip of her school shoe into the ground, "Er… thanks…?"

"No, really!" the flaming haired teen grinned, eyes alight, "We could use talent like this to our advantage! Hm…" he stroked an imaginary beard, "What do you think about a bit of collaboration, Gou-kun?"

"_It's Kou! …_Collaboration you say?" she questioned, raising a brow in turn.

The tall teen nodded, "Yes. Your exceptional note taking skills paired with my super spy abilities will form a match no one can meet."

Gou's eyes narrowed, and she placed her hands on her hips, "_Your_ super spy abilities? I don't see _you_ climbing on to the roof of a rival school's swim centre undetected!"

"Oh, you're so young and naïve!" he laughed, slapping at his knee, "Join me and I'll show you how a _true_ super spy operates."

"Hm. So this proposition would be between Samezuka and Iwatobi only, yes?" she ensured.

"Yep," he nodded, "just me and you."

"And we'd be spying on other schools, you say?" her eyes narrowed further.

"Every school in the district," he assured.

"Aha!" she exclaimed finally, "In that case – Captain Mikoshiba Seijuuro, I'll be needing your number."

OOO

"Binoculars?" Seijuuro demanded as they stood outside the mall, frowning down at the list held in his large hand.

"Check!" Gou exclaimed, holding up the high power pair she'd been using earlier.

"Camouflage clothes?" the Captain queried.

"Check!" the girl gestured to their clothing. They'd both taken a shopping trip to gather their necessary spy supplies.

"Camera phone?" he raised a brow as she shoved her hand into his pocket.

"Check!" she cried as she retrieved his phone, grinning.

"Notebook?"

"Check!"

"Emergency snacks?"

"Check!"

"Normal snacks?"

"Check!"

"Extra snacks – Gou-kun, is this really necessa-"

"_Check!_"

"Ah, uh, where was I? Oh, bandanas?"

"Check!"

"Black zinc?"

"Check!"

"Drawing utensils?"

"Check!"

"Glittery pens – Gou, _really-_"

"_CHECK!_"

"Oy vey," the Captain sighed, massaging his temples lightly, "and what about the fake ID's?"

"Yep, they're right here too!" the girl held up the two cards, "According to these you are Okazaki Toshio and I'm Sanohara Atsuko!"

"Right then!" Seijuuro announced, tucking the list into his pocket and snatching his phone back from Gou, "Let's go spy on some swim teams, Gou-kun!"

"_Kou! KOU! How hard is it to remember K-O-U?!_"

OOO

"Dun-dun, dun-dun! Dun-dun, dun-dun – dun-dun, dun-dun, dun-dun, dun-dun!" Gou took the backing vocals as the army camouflaged pair crouched behind a bin at a local rival school. Seijuuro nodded, confirming the coast was clear – and the two dashed across the pathway, the Captain displaying ridiculous accuracy in the continuation of the mission impossible theme.

"DEIW DEIW DIEWWWWW, DIEW DIEW DIEWWWW, DEIW DIEW DIEWWWWW DUN-DUN-DUN!"

They dived into the bushes at the edge of the outdoor pools, scurrying to bury themselves in leaves, dirt and other debris. When they were finally settled the Captain smirked at the first year, "Part one: reach access point, complete. Part two: observation in disguise, currently commencing."

"Roger that," Gou whispered, tugging the leather bound notebook out of her equally camouflaged pack.

She pulled out her pen just in time for the team's training to start. Frowning in concentration, she began scribbling out notes on the training plan while Seijuuro sought out their most talented members with the binoculars.

"What do we already know?" Seijuuro asked, peering intently through the device.

"Oga South High School, also known as Oga South," she informed him, still writing furiously, "there's a swimmer here known as the 'whitebait of the Sea of Japan'. He must be identified immediately."

"Ah, a dangerous one, he is," Mikoshiba murmured, stroking his chin, "it's that one! There!" he pointed out a swimmer just heaving himself out of the pool.

Gou snatched away the binoculars and peered at the teen, "_Such… beautiful… muscles!_"

"Eeeeeeh?" Seijuuro gasped, eyebrows almost at his hairline, "Gou-kun, I never realised you had a fetish for muscles!"

"Sei-kun!" the girl turned to him, scandalised, "Name _one_ girl who _doesn't_ have a fetish for muscles… hmm… glorious pecs, beautiful abs, don't even get me _started_ on biceps…"

"Gou-kun, you're drooling…"

"_It's Kou!_ And I was _not_ drooling!" she defended, face flushing pink.

"Was too!" the Captain shot back, smirking.

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was – oh, hush, they're headed this way!"

The two high school students went silent, waiting on bated breath for the group of swimmers to pass.

"Gee, you're really cramping my style. My professional self has never come that close to being cau – _hey!_"

With a huff Gou had tugged his green and black bandana over his eyes.

"Hush, and get to work!"


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Thank you for all the lovely reviews! I really, really appreciate them – they motivate me to keep on writing. **_

_**WARNING: RATED T FOR CRUDE LANGUAGE AND IMAGERY**_

O-O-O

"I heard she manages the boys in more than one way-"

"What could a girl be doing on that team with so many boys-"

"Do you think she spits or swallows?"

"I reckon she enjoys being surrounded by that many dicks all that once-"

"Whore-"

"Attention seeker-"

"Bitch-"

"Slut-"

The rumours and the name calling had always managed to strike a nerve with Gou.

Did people really think that low of her? It was something she constantly found herself pondering over.

She didn't understand why it was such a big deal for her to be the only girl on the swim team. Despite the rumours, she always tried her hardest to motivate the boys and get their times up.

It was on the day of one of their joint practices with Samezuka Academy when Gou heard someone whispering loudly in the corridor on her way to her locker.

"_Do you think she 'got on her knees' to get into the national orchestra, too?_"

Though she hated to look weak, her eyes began to prickle painfully. Why would someone say such a thing?

"Gou-chan! Gou-chan, are you ready – are you alright, Gou?" Nagisa's worried voice pierced her troubled thoughts.

"I'm fine," she snapped, hurrying to open her locker.

"Are you sure? Ma, anyway, have you spoken to Captain Mikoshiba to make sure we're still welcome?" the blond boy dropped the subject, bouncing beside Gou as she scrolled in her locker combination.

"Uh, yes! He told me everything was ready-" she froze as a mountain of little foil squares fell out of her locker, in to the corridor. "Eh?" she frowned, picking one up to inspect it closer. Beneath the square was the outline of a rubber circle of sorts.

"Oh." Dropping the packet as though it was poisonous, all the while desperately trying to stem her embarrassment, Gou slammed the locker shut, spun on her heel and began sprinting out of the hall as people began sniggering.

"Wait! Gou, wait!"

But she ignored Nagisa's cries, her feet propelling her to the only place in the school where she didn't feel ridiculed.

Her chest ached and her feet throbbed, but she kept on running, cheeks and eyes burning in turn with tears of embarrassment. Why would anyone do such a thing?

Words were one thing – but to stack condoms in a girl's locker and set them to tumble out for everyone to see?

All Gou wanted to do was help her brother – was it that hard to see?

She came to a staggering stop at the gate beside the pool, doubled over, hands grasping at the cool metal as her shoulders shook. She didn't want to cry. Not when she was to meet the boys soon. Not when she had to face her brother at Samezuka. Not when she had to be there for them, for her mother, for herself.

"Kou-san?" the voice of Rei reached her, but she couldn't quite gather enough composure to stand straight just yet.

"Kou-san, are you well?" he was drawing closer, his footsteps echoing on the concrete behind her.

Bringing one hand off the cool bars to clutch briefly at her ribs, the teen swiped furiously at her cheeks and tried to catch her breath.

"Ah, good afternoon Rei-kun, Gou-chan," Makoto's voice appeared suddenly.

Cursing to herself, Gou wondered why she thought coming to the pool was a good idea. The sight of the water wavering just beyond the gates made the flood behind her eyes swell painfully.

A few droplets escaped, splattering softly on the concrete beneath her feet. She bit her lip to stifle a sob.

"…_a whore… beds the Captain of Samezuka, too!... awesome _four_some, get it?!... spit or swallow…"_

She just wanted to help her brother.

"…_on her knees' to get into the national orchestra?... psh, she's not even pretty…loves being surrounded by half naked men…"_

She just wanted to help the team.

"…_it's in her name. So masculine – it can't be helped. She's craving the masculinity…see her pregnant, soon…you think, her and her brother? Really?... nasty stuff…"_

Why could no one see that?

"G-Gou-san…" Rei stuttered, looking stricken.

"Eh?" Makoto followed his gaze, smile dropping off his face as he realised she was crying. "Gou-chan, what happened? Gou?"

"Nothing!" she shot up, standing with her back to them, "N-Nothing, I'm fine!"

"Kou," Haru spoke, eyes grim, "w-"

"I'll m-meet you at Samezuka!" and she sprinted into the club change rooms, headed for the bathrooms.

Slamming the door shut behind her, the teenage girl hurled herself to the ground and finally let loose, sobbing hysterically. An image of Rin, young, smiling and so, so happy burst into her mind – a reminder for her efforts. Her father's face, smiling at her for what neither of them knew was the last time, placing a kiss on her little forehead. Her mother's weathered face, sadly pulled into a mask of mock serenity.

Gou just wanted a family again.

A knock sounded, but the girl ignored it, instead continuing to cry to herself alone. She heard a squeak as the unlocked door was pushed open. Soon, a pair of shoes were in her blurry sights.

"Kou."

It was Haru.

She looked up, her eyes red and pained and puffy, fat tears still rolling down her cheeks.

"Here," he handed her an unscrewed bottle of water.

She shook her head, burying her face in her hands once again.

"Kou," his voice was firm now, "drink. It'll help."

Sniffling, trying fruitlessly to get her breathing into check, she took the water from him and forced down a few sips. It was surprising how much better she felt.

"Come, we won't let you walk to Samezuka alone," Haru's eyes were clouded with something she couldn't place.

"No," her voice was too husky, she thought, too masculine, "I'll just… I'll be there a bit later."

He watched her for a moment, crouched on the floor.

"No," he said after a moment, still monotonous as he stood, "Iwatobi can't go without their manager. We need you, Kou."

She didn't think it possible, but her eyes watered further at that, and she nodded, swiping hurriedly at her cheeks.

"Yes. Right. I'm sorry," looking up, she almost couldn't believe he was offering his hand to her.

"Don't… Don't apologise. It's not your fault."

Biting her lip, she took his hand and let him pull her off the floor. Wordlessly, she headed over to the sink and splashed her face with water, hoping to rid her face of the redness with the cool substance.

Haru offered a towel to dry herself, and she took it gratefully, grimacing as she glanced in the mirror. It was blatantly obvious that she'd been crying. Her eyes were red rimmed and glossy, and her face was awfully flushed.

She still felt as though she could burst into tears at any moment, but she knew they'd be late if they didn't leave soon.

"Let's go," she muttered, walking with Haru to meet the others, who were waiting where Gou left them, beside the pool gate.

Not a word was spoken as they walked to Samezuka, the air incredibly tense. The only girl amongst them knew Nagisa had told the others of the incident, and her cheeks flamed with embarrassment.

The only sound on the train was her sniffing, trying to keep her composure.

Haru would pass her his water bottle, Makoto would place comforting hands on her shoulders, Nagisa would shoot smiles her way and Rei would glance over at her worriedly every now and then, but none of them spoke to her.

Nagisa was the only one who attempted any semblance of normalcy, bugging Rei until the bespectacled teen was forced to retaliate.

The Samezuka pool was awfully loud.

The chlorine stung Gou's eyes even more, and the smell was giving her a headache. Nagisa, Rei and Haru raced to get into the water, but Makoto faced the much shorter club manager.

"Come get us if you need anything, hn?" the concern lacing his voice was touching.

The red head nodded, tugging her notebook out of her bag as the Captain of the Iwatobi team walked towards the locker rooms. Making her way over to the metal benches lining the walls, Gou flipped open the book to the latest page as she sat.

Try as she may, she couldn't quite focus on the words written before her. Not even the abundance of muscles could distract her from her self-pity.

"…_slut…bitch…attention seeker…whore…"_

She wondered if her brother was ashamed to have her as a sister. Was that why he ignored her and pushed her away?

Gou hoped with all her heart that her father wasn't disappointed, wherever he was.

"Gou-kun!" a familiar booming voice interrupted her thoughts.

She didn't look up as the tall Captain sat beside her, still dripping wet and smelling of chlorine.

"What're you doing?" he asked, ruffling his hair dry with a towel.

"Writing," she replied without missing a beat, her voice a little croaky.

"Writing, hn?" she could practically feel him smirking, "Without a pen?"

Ah. Yes. She'd forgotten her pen.

Gou only shrugged at his bark of laughter, fingering the words inked onto the pages thoughtlessly.

"Hey," he murmured after a moment, tone different, "are you okay?"

She shrugged again, struggling to keep any leakage from her eyes – unsuccessfully.

"Gou – Gou, are you crying? Hey, hey, hey, don't cry! Come on, tell me what's bothering you," his words only made her eyes hotter, her cheeks redder.

Shaking her head, she stood, "I-I've got to go home. Tell my team for me, will you?" she choked out, hurrying towards the door.

"Gou! Wait – Gou!" Seijuuro shouted, hopping to his feet.

At his shout, Rin looked up from the water, eyes zoning in on his sister. _She'll call me later_, he thought to himself, _she'll tell me what's wrong. She always does._

"Gou wait, please!" Mikoshiba called, grasping her by the arm just as she reached the door, "Did someone say something to you? Tell me, please… I… I can't stand to see you like this."

"I…I'll call you," she choked out, watery eyes seeking his for just a moment before she broke out of his grasp and hurried away.

Once out of the chlorine rich air, Gou broke into a run, heading for the train station.

_Home_, she thought, _I just have to make it home_.

The train ride passed in a blur, and soon she was close to home. It was only afternoon, her mother wouldn't be home until late. The house was quiet – and quiet was what she needed. Her shower was short, and she fell into bed after it, hair still drenched.

Though it was only 6pm, she cried until she was exhausted enough to sleep.

"Hm?" Harumi frowned when she came home that night, "She's asleep already?"

But she didn't wake her daughter.

Gou didn't go to school the next day.

OOO

"Hello, Mikoshiba speaking."

"_Sei-kun? It's Kou…"_

"Gou-kun! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"_No, no, I'm fine."_

"You didn't look fine yesterday."

"_I… well – it… uh…"_

"What happened, Kou?"

"_It's… been happening for a while now._"

"What? You like someone?"

"_No, no! It's just… I'm the only girl on the swim team. People gossip and spread nasty rumours-"_

"Oh! That's a silly thing to cry over, Gou-kun!"

"_Sei-kun… you don't understand. They… they say things about how I got into the orchestra. They don't only insult me, they insult the boys too."_

"I see… what happened yesterday to make you so upset?"

"…"

"Gou…"

"_Someone played a nasty prank."_

"What kind of prank?"

"_A nasty one._"

"What did they do, Gou?"

"…"

"If you don't tell me I'll find out some other way with my super spy abilities-"

"_They stuffed my locker with condoms and when I opened it they spilled out everywhere with everyone watching_."

"What? Are you fucking serious?"

"_Sei-kun! Such language-"_

"Who the _fuck_ would do that to you?"

"_Sei-kun, calm dow-"_

"Gou, why didn't you tell me this yesterday? Why, I ought to-"

"_No! Don't do anything, Sei-kun – please!"_

"Eh? Does your brother know about this?"

"_No."_

"Ah. I see. Don't you listen to them for a minute, Gou-kun! You're better than they will ever be!"

"_Eh… thank you. But… it just got to me, Sei. I'm only trying to help and people say horrible things about me. Do you… think I'm horrible?"_

"WHAAAAT? Are you kidding me, Gou?! You're the most amazing girl I know – you're smart, and you play violin for the _national orchestra_ and you manage a swim team and you're a complete dork like me and you don't make that much of a bad spy, either! You're perfect, Gou – don't let them make you think any different."

"…_Sei…do you think I'm pretty?"_

"YES! Who said otherwise? Gou, tell me who said otherwise, I need to go punch their _fucking _face to correct their eyesight!"

"_Hahahaha! Oh, Sei-kun, you always know how to make me feel better. Thank you… for understanding that I couldn't talk yesterday."_

"You're welcome, Gou-kun!"

"_It's Kou! And could you please… don't say anything to Rin. He's focussed on swimming, and it should stay that way."_

"Your wish is my command. Will I see you tomorrow afternoon for practice?"

"_No, I have to go into town to rehearse tomorrow."_

"Ah, I see! Now, for this Saijouin High School mission Friday afternoon, I'll come and get you from school, okay?"

"_Oh… uh… if it's not too much trouble, Sei-kun!"_

"Mm, don't forget the camouflage this time!"

"_Hey, that was _your_ fault!"_

"Was not!

"_Was too!_"

OOO

"Ah, this is useless!" Gou cried, hurling the sheet music around her room.

It was Wednesday afternoon, a day after the embarrassing prank and her escape from Samezuka. Her mother, thinking she was ill, had permitted her to stay home from school. Gou was grateful for the break.

She practiced all day, pacing around her room, trying to learn half of the whole performance within the span of a few hours.

It wasn't working.

"I don't deserve that stupid spot," she grumbled, roaming the house as she played the tunes she was more familiar with, glad she had already committed a few of the first songs to heart.

She was pacing the lounge room, playing away her part at '_Counter attack mankind_', when a figure suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"_AH!_" she screamed, spinning to hold her violin like a bat, ready to use as a weapon against the intruder.

"Gou," it was Rin.

"Onii-chan?" the girl gasped, hands still poised to attack, "What are you doing here? Mum's not here."

"You didn't text me yesterday," he frowned, still standing anxiously in the doorway.

"Eh… you told me it was annoying…" she murmured letting her hands drop as she averted her gaze to her feet.

The surprise on his face was genuine, "…I did?"

She nodded.

His brows pulled into a frown again, "Well, I want you to text me when something's wrong from now on, alright?"

"Wrong?" Gou asked, voice rising a few octaves along with her nerves, "Nothing's wrong, why would I text you?"

"Gou," his lips were pulled into a thin line, "you were upset yesterday."

"No!" she quickly burst out, setting her violin carefully on the couch, "yesterday I was-"

"You were crying."

"No! No, I wasn't-"

But the second year wasn't letting the matter slip away, "I saw it with my own eyes! Was it Mikoshiba? Did he say something to you?"

"No! It's not that, onii-chan, I promise!" the words poured out of her mouth as she scrambled for an excuse, "I wasn't feeling well! I didn't go to school today."

Rin's eyes narrowed, and he stepped into the familiar room, "Why are you lying to me?"

"I-I'm not lying!" Gou squeaked, scurrying into the kitchen, "Ah, look I'll prepare something to eat-"

"Gou, tell me why you were crying," Rin wasn't falling for her distractions.

"Honest! I wasn't feeling-"

She was cut off as the doorbell rung, echoing through the house.

"Aha! I'll get that!" she sprinted past her brother and dodged through the hall, practically tearing the door open.

"Hel- Haruka-senpai? Makoto-senpai? Huh?"

"Good afternoon, Gou-chan," Makoto smiled down at her.

"Uh… hello…" her gaze travelled to Haru, acutely aware of her brother in the next room, "what are you two doing here?"

"We wanted to check up on you… you've never missed coming to practice and we were all worried," Makoto told her, still smiling kindly.

"Uh, okay," Gou nodded, opening the door wider, "would you like to come in?"

The boys nodded and followed Gou through the hallway.

"We spoke to the people at school, Gou-chan," Makoto began, "and made sure to tell them not to do it again- Rin-san?"

Haru and Makoto froze in the doorway, watching Rin's relaxed form on the couch as he plucked idly at the strings of Gou's violin, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Told who not to do what?" he questioned, baring his pointy teeth.

"Nothing!" the girl cried, shooting the swim club members a warning glance over her shoulder, "Ah, take a seat Haruka-senpai, Makoto-chan! Let me whip up something to eat!"

She darted into the kitchen and tore open the fridge, ears fine-tuned to the conversation beginning to take place in her absence.

"Why are you here?" Rin's sharp voice made her wince as she pulled out the ingredients for fried rice.

Noting Haru's presence, she pulled some mackerel out of the refrigerator as well.

"We came to visit Gou-chan," she heard Makoto reply, "she didn't come to school or practice today."

The sizzle of the vegetables hitting the fry pan hissed through the air, and a brief silence passed.

"Why didn't she go to school?" Rin asked, plucking the strings of the violin once more.

Another brief silence, and Gou added the rice, setting the mackerel on another pan to cook as a side dish.

"She… wasn't well yesterday," she heard Makoto's tentative reply.

Sighing audibly in relief, she flipped the mackerel and snatched the juice out of the fridge.

"Hn, I still don't believe it," she heard her brother scoff loudly.

She hurriedly set everything on a tray and raced out to the boys, setting the food on the low table where they sat.

"Sorry, this was all we had," she apologised, placing a bowl in front of each teen, a cup as well.

"That's alright, Gou-chan," Makoto smiled, "it looks lovely – oh, look Haru, she even fried some mackerel!"

"Thank you, Kou," Haru murmured, avoiding her eyes as he reached down to pick up his chopsticks.

Gou's eyes caught his bruised, slightly bloodied knuckles, and she gasped, "What – What happened?"

The swimmer froze, blue gaze locking with Makoto's green one.

"Yeah, Haru," Rin snorted, "it looks like you punched someone!"

Gou's expression morphed into horror as she scrutinised the slightly flushed boy before her, "_Nooooo_," she whined, slapping her hands up to her face, "this is so embarrassing already!"

"I'm sorry, Kou," Haru's apology was sincere, and so she nodded.

"I-I'm not hungry. I'm going to practice in my room – thank you for coming!" and she leapt up, swiped her violin off the couch and sprinted to her room.

"Hey! Get back here, I came all the way from school to talk to you-"

She slammed the door, and the three friends, now rivals, sat alone.

"Speak," the red head growled, glaring across the table at Makoto and Haru, "now."


End file.
